Monday, November 24, 2008

The Boil & Pop Method!

What do you do when you want to switch an interesting head sculpt to a Hasbro body?

Boil Them!

That's right, boil them rascals! Well, not exactly. Don't dunk the bodies in active boiling water - don't want their legs or clothing catching fire! Just get a small pot of water up to a good rolling boil, turn off the heat, dunk the guys headfirst into the hot water and walk away for a few minutes.

Once you come back, the heads will be very soft and pliable. Handle with care! They're hot! Duh! I use a kitchen towel to handle and carefully pull the heads off. Then it's just a matter of pushing and twisting to get the right head on the right body. You may need to bring the water up to a boil again if the heads start cooling off before you can get it remounted.

Be careful, though! I'm not to blame if you scald yourself with the hot water!

The above picture shows an extra Wild Bill figure and a 21st Century Toys figure prepping for a head change. I wanted to use the 21st head on the Hasbro body for this guy below.

The Killer WHALE pilot, Cutter, now joins the ranks of my 12" versions of the little Joes!